I didn't realize the anger, the hate, that was spent so
frivolously toward the enemy. The quickness at which they
could expel words of  despair on another without  giving it
a  thought. I never knew back then I was the enemy." I
didn't know"

I lived  another atmosphere where it never just pranced up
and slapped my face. I lived what was called safe because
they didn't do it "that" way in my place. But hell "I didn't
know".
I watched as a child as they greeted my Dad with
respect,tipped their hats and he'd tip his back, but shoo he
was their boss and I saw nothing wrong with that but heyyy,"
I didn't know".So yes I grew up rather priveleged and such
when the hate knocked on my door I still didn't think much,
well because I didn't know. I opened that door and addressed
that call the reason being I knew no fear of them at all,
haha, ya see "I didn't know".
I was raised in the north where it was different for us. The
hate was there but left unaddressed but at the time you
see,"I didn't know".  I paid it no attention when a teacher
made a  quip about black boys and their hair in my 5th grade
trip,  had I known then what I know now I'd have given her a
part with an ax but, "I didn't know". Or when we had to work
out our parents pay for a year by bringing in stubs and
doing the math and the teacher left the room with mine and
came back with questions like .. uhh so you folks are upper
middle class ? Was none of her business, racist and such,
but hey "I didn't know"
So you see I wasn't as safe as I thought,there was just
another way the hatred was brought would I have made a
bigger difference had I known. Could I have effected a
better tone? Shucks I still don't know.
written by MaeWill copyright10-23-07